Motor-vehicle.



Patented my 9, 190|. F. E. CANDA &. L. B. SMYSER.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

(Application led my -1, 1900.)

mafcw. n. c.

Tn: Nonms vsn-.H co. Moruuwo. wAsN (No Model.)

WITNESSES:

No. 677,854. Patented my 9, 19m.-

r. E. cANnA s. L. B. smsen. l

MOTOR VEHICLE.

. (Apph t n l d May 1 1900) (No Model.) 3 Shoals-Sheet 2.

i 8% 59am-Ja ATTORNEYS No. 677,854. Patented luly 9, |90I.

` F. E. CANDA L. B. SMYSER.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

(Application med May 1, 1900.\

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

ATTORNEYS TH: mams frans an, Pauw-urna., wAsumcfoN, D c

UNITED L STATES PATENTf FFICE.

FERDINAND E. OANDA, OE NEw YORK, N. Y., AND LOUIS E. SuYSER, OEELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY; SAID SMYSER ASSIGNOR TO SAID OANDA.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

srEOIErcAfrroN forming par?. of Letters Patent No. 677,854, dated Jury9, 1901.

Application iiled May 1, 1900.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that we, FERDINAND E. OANDA, residing at New York, in thecounty of New York, State of New York, and LOUIS B. SMY- SER, residingat Elizabeth, in the county of Union, State of New Jersey, citizens ofthe United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMotor-Vehicles; and We do hereby declare the following to be a full,

1o clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Our invention relates to improvements in motor-vehicles and in thedriving-gear therei5 of; and it consists in the novel means employed fortransmitting motion from the motors to the wheels and for varying thespeed and direction of movement and generally in the novelcombination,construction, and arrange- 2o ment of the parts.

The objects of our invention are to improve and simplify theconstruction ofV motor-vehicles and the driving-gear thereof 3 toiinprove the mechanism employed for varying the speed and reversing thedirection of movement of such vehicles; to arrange twin motors andconnect the same to common driving-gear in such manner that if one ofthe motors becomes deranged it may be readily 3o disconnected, so as topermit the vehicle to be driven by the other motor, and to make themechanism of the vehicle as simple, compact, durable, and noiseless inoperation as possible. These objects are attained in the 3 5 inventionherein described, and illustrated iny the drawings, which accompanyandform a part of this specification, in which the samereference-numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts, and inwhich- Figure 1 is a top View, with the seat removed, of a vehicleconstructed in accordance with our invention.y Fig. 2 is a centralVertical section of such vehicle. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of thevehicle.' Fig. 4 is a detail view showing one of the friction-clutchesemployed. Fig. 5 is a det-ail section of one of the friction-disks.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the rear or driving axle of the vehicle; 22, the rear or driv- 5o ing wheels thereof; 3, the casing'of theoompensating gear, and 4 the hollow sleeve or Serial No. 15,062. (Nomodel.)

shaft surrounding the axle l and connected to the compensating gear 3and through which power is transmitted to said compensating gear andthence to the axle.

5 5 are ball-bearings for the axle supporting the frame of the vehicle.

6 6 are twin motors, of the explosive or internal-combustion type,carried by the frame of the vehicle. On their crank-shafts are pin- 6oions 7'7, intermeshing with a common gearwheel 8, mounted on adriving-shaft 9, having bearings in the frame of the vehicle.

Upon the driving-shaft 9 is a friction-wheel 10, which is connected toSaid shaft 9 by a 65 spline. Opposite said wheel 10 is an idler- Wheel11, mounted loosely on a shaft 14, supported bya bracket 32, hereinaftermentioned. Both wheels are of the same diameter. Upon the axle-sleeve Ltare two corresponding fric- 7o tion-disks 12 and 13, both keyed to thesleeve 4, but arranged to have some slight longitudinal movementthereon, and these disks are pressed against wheels 10 and 11 by springs15. Both disks are provided with anges 16, within which are mountedfriction-clutches, such as are shown in Fig. 4, and which consist each,essentially, of a iianged wheel 17, keyed to the sleeve 4E, a splitspring-ring 18, i interposed between the flange 19 of the wheel 8o 17and the flange 16 of the friction-disk, a link20, connected to one endofthe split ring 1S, and an operating-lever 2l, pivoted to thefriction-disk, engaging one end ofthe springring 18 and connected by alink 2O to the 85 other end of said ring and adapted to be operated by acone 22, mounted upon the axlebushing et. When lever 21 is forced out bythe cone, the band or ring 18 is drawntghtly against ange 19.

The supporting-frame of the driving mechanism-that is to say, themotOr-frame--consists, essentially, of a U-shaped part 23, Fig. 1,supported from the ball-bearings 5 of the axle 1 and having a crossmember 24, from 95 which and from other parts of the frame 23 the twomotors 6 are supported, a supportingbar 25, Figs. 2 and 3, above therear axle and connected by uprights to the outermost ballbearings 5, andbraces 51. Upon the supportroo ing-bar 25 are mounted the shifting-arms26, by which the cones 22 of the friction-clutches Change of directionof motion of the vehicle is effected by means of reversing-lever 3l,which when moved iirst releases one frictionclutch and then when movedfarther closes the other friction-clutch. When the lever occupies acentral position, both clutches areY released and the vehicle willremain stationy. ary, notwithstanding t-he operation of the engines.Baud friction-clutches of the type shown in Fig. 4 permit very easystarting ofp the vehicle, so that when starting it is not necessary tohave the speed-varying gear ad-j justed for the lowest speed.

The regulation of the speed is effected, preferably or principally, bymoving the frictionwheel l0 toward or from the centers of the disks 12and 13. To so move said wheel, we employ a rack 33, intermeshing with apinion 34, mounted loosely on the axle-sleeve 4. The rack 33 has anordinary forked connection with theV hub of the friction-wheel l0. The

wheel 11 is arranged to be moved in the same manner and to the samedegree as frictionwheel lO by a rack 35, likewise intermesliing withpinion34, and rollers 36, pivoted to the bracket 32, support and guidethese racks. To the pinion 34 is connected an arm 37, itself connectedby a link 38 to an arm 39 on a transverse rock-shaft 40. Another arm 4lon said shaft is connected by a link 42 to a shifting-lever 43,conveniently located for hand operation. By moving this lever 43 thefriction-wheels 10 and 11 may be moved toward or from the centers of thefriction-disks l2 and 13, as desired, thereby varying to any extentdesired within reasonable limits the speed of the vehicle.

As above mentioned, the wheel 1l is a simple idler. lts purpose is tokeep the frictiondisks l2 and 13 parallel, and so prevent pinching ofthe wheel 10 between said disks. It is very important that such pinchingbe prevented, and since the hubs of the disks 12 and 13 are short somedevice, such as the wheel 11,' is necessary to prevent pinching.

The shaft 9 has a bearing at its outer end and the stub-shaft 14 has asupport at its inner end in a block 52, mounted loosely on the hubs ofthe friction-disks 12 and 13.

The body 44 of the vehicle is supported at the rear by springs 45,resting upon the supporting-bar 25 of the vehicle-frame. At the frontthe carriage-bodyis supported by a similar spring,likewise numbered45,1'esting upon the front axle. The vehicle has no reach independent ofthe carriage-body extending from one axle to the other; but themotorframe 23 has a hinge connection to the licor member 46 of thecarriage-body, and said member is connected by links 47 to the frontaxle. The motor-frame 23 and the floor member 46 of the carriage-bodyand the links 47 together form the device for connecting the front andrear axles. The hinge connection between the motor-frame 23 and thecarriage-body may be in the form of a ball-andsocket joint 48, placed onthe longitudinal axis of the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 2. Such aconstruction avoids straining of the framework of the transmittingmechanism due to Vinequalities of the road; but we do not limitourselves to the use of a ball-and-socket-joint connection.

Because of the hinge connection between the motor-frame and the body ofthe vehicle a large portion of the weight of the mechanism of thevehicle is carried by the springs supporting thebody, so that thedriving mechA anism is spring-supported.

Dispensing with special connecting members extending from one axle tothe other avoids much of the cumbersomeness of prior motor-vehicles. Themotor-frame 23 carries the mufiiers 49 of the engine and also thecarbureter 50. Itis provided with braces 5l, extending from the front ofthe frame 23 to the supporting-bar 25.

The operation of this vehicle is as follows: The engine being started,with the reversinglever in the central position, the vehicle may bestarted independent of the speed-changing lever 43 by moving thereversing-lever to the one side or the other, according as it is desiredto move forward or backward. In starting it is easy to close the clutchonly partly at first and then as the vehicle gains speed to close theclutch completely. By this means a jerky starting of the vehicle may beavoided even when starting with the friction-wheel 10 set 'for highspeed. The vehicle may be stopped at any time by moving the lever 3lback to the central position. To vary the speed, the lever 43 may bemoved forward or backward, according as it is desired to make the speedless or greater. Should one of the engines Gget out of order at anytime, it may be thrown out of operation by removing its pinion 7, andthe other motor will then drive the vehicle independently. It isintended that the motors shall be of such capacity that either shall beable alone to drive the vehi` cle, although of course at a less speedthan that at which both motors together can drive it.

Having thus completely described our invention, what we claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is l 1. In a driving mechanism, thecombination, with a shaft, two oppositely-arranged friction-disksmounted thereon and movable longitudinally and rotatively withv respectthereto, power-transmitting devices for connecting one or the other ofthe disks to said shaft at will, and means for operating said powertransmitting devices, of a frictionwheel interposed between, and adaptedto coact with, said friction-disks, a shaft upon which said wheel ismounted in driving con- IOO IIO

nection, said wheel being arranged to be moved in and out along theshaft, means for so moving said wheel, and automatic take-up devicesoperating independently of the operation of the power-transmittin gdevices of the friction-disks, for pressing said disks against saidfriction-wheel.

2. In a driving mechanism, the combination, with a shaft, twooppositely-arranged friction-disks mounted thereon and movablelongitudinally and rotatively with respect thereto, and band-clutchesfor connecting one or the other of the disks to said shaft at will, of afriction-wheel interposed between, and adapted to coact with, saidfriction-disks, a shaft upon which said wheel is mounted in drivingconnection,said wheel being arranged to be moved in and ont along saidshaft, means for so moving said wheel and automatic takeup devicesoperating independently of the operation of the clutches, for pressingthe fric tion-disks against said friction-wheel.

3. In a driving mechanism, the combination, with a shaft, twooppositely-arranged friction-disks mounted thereon and movablelongitudinally and rotatively with respect thereto, friction-ringscarried by said disks, wheels carried by said shaft, means' for pressingsaid rings against said wheels at will, thereby placing either of saiddisks, at will, in driving connection with said shaft, andfollower-springs, carried by said Wheel and tending to press said diskstoward each other, of a friction-wheel interposed between, and adaptedto coact with, said friction-disks, a shaft upon which said wheel ismounted in driving connection, said wheel being arranged to be moved inand out along said shaft, and means for so moving said wheel.

4. In a driving mechanism,a the combination, with twooppositely-arranged frictiondisks, a shaft adapted to be driventherefrom, and means for connecting one or the other of the disks tosaid shaft at will, of a frictionwheel interposed between, and adaptedto coact with, said friction-disks, a shaft upon which said Wheel ismounted in driving connection, said wheel being arranged to be moved inand out along said shaft, a similar wheel mounted upon the opposite sideof the axis of rotation of said friction-disks, and arranged to bemovedin and out in accordance with the movement of said friction-wheel, andmeans for so moving said wheels in conjunction.

5. In a driving mechanism, the combination, with two oppositely-arrangedfrictiondisks, a shaft adapted to be driven therefrom, and means forconnecting one or the other of the disks to said shaft at will, of africtionwheel interposed between, and adapted to coact with, saidfriction-disks, a shaft upon which said wheel is mounted in drivingconnection, said wheel being arranged to be moved in and out along saidshaft, a similar wheel mounted upon the opposite side of the shaft onwhich the friction-disks are mounted, and likewise arranged to be movedin and out, a pinion mounted between the friction disks, rack-barsintermeshing with said pinion and engaging the said wheels and arrangedto move the same longitudinally, and means for rotating the pinion.

6. In a driving mechanism, the combination, with a shaft, twooppositely-arranged friction-disks thereon, clutches for connectingeither of said disks to said shaft at will, and a friction-wheelinterposed between, and adapted to coact with, said frictiondisks, of asupporting-bar arranged parallel with said shaft, shifting-arms. foroperating said clutches, mounted on said bar, and means for moving saidarms along the bar.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in the presence of twowitnesses.

FERDINAND E. CANDA. LOUIS B. SMYSER. Witnesses:

ALPHONSE KLoH, HARRY M. MARBLE.

